The Desk: Learning from English

Kevin English was always good for a news tip. After he found PotomacLocal.com, he would send me story ideas that would often have to do with Dumfries. In some cases he probably knew more about what was happening inside of Town Hall than some who actually work there. It shouldn’t come as a surprise because he served on the Town Council and ran for mayor.

English passed away Sunday at age 57, and all this week has been remembered as someone who cared deeply about his community. I always appreciated his willingness to reach out and to be open and honest about what he thought.

English championed his community in many ways, from being an elected official, being active in various community causes, and was a successful businessman.

As an organization that works hard to cover the area, PotomacLocal.com can learn a lot from English about championing a community.

While we never take lightly our responsibility to objectively cover the day’s events, our website must also be a place for insightful discussion, a place for local businesses to reach new customers affordably and effectively, and a hub for community event listings that connect our readers with their neighbors.

As we have brought you the news over the past two years, some in our community have said that PotomacLocal.com’s coverage is too left leaning. Some have told me PotomacLocal.com is slanted too far to the right. A recent comment on our Facebook page stated we are a very credible news source, and the writer kindly asked us to keep up the good work.

As community journalists it’s not our job to write stories to influence others, or to change the world with our words. We tell good stories that impact people in the communities we serve. PotomacLocal.com has always been an open forum where readers can not only comment on directly on stories, but is a place where readers are encouraged to contact us directly with feedback, as English often did.

We have a sharp and unique focus on the communities on the communities we cover — Dumfries, Stafford, and Woodbridge. We believe because of their location near the Potomac River, park facilities, natural resources, active community groups, successful local businesses, and transportation links, just to name a few, these communities are poised for growth in the coming years.

I’d like to think Kevin English would agree.